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Resilience as a Sustainable Personal Brand: A Case Study of a Self-Made Transgender Beautician in India

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Issue Abstract

Abstract

This study explores how resilience functions as a sustainable personal branding strategy among marginalized individuals, focusing on a self-made transgender woman working as a beautician in South India. Despite persistent gender minority stress, social exclusion, and economic precarity, the participant has established a sustainable livelihood through service-based entrepreneurship. Using a mixed-method single-case design, quantitative data were collected using the Gender Minority Stress and Resilience (GMSR) scale and the Transgender Resilience Scale (TRS), complemented by an in-depth narrative interview. Results indicate moderate-to-high minority stress alongside high resilience, highlighting adaptive coping, identity affirmation, and relational trust as critical resources. The qualitative findings reveal how authenticity, consistency, and community engagement translate resilience into a credible personal brand, enabling long-term customer loyalty. The study contributes to sustainable marketing literature by demonstrating how marginalized identities generate value through authenticity-driven branding. Implications for inclusive marketing, social sustainability, and ethical entrepreneurship are discussed.

Keywords: Transgender resilience · Sustainable marketing · Personal branding · Inclusive entrepreneurship · Case study · India

Author Information
J. Arul raj Ph.D (Research Scholar), Sunrise University, Alwar, Rajasthan, India.
Issue No
3
Volume No
6
Issue Publish Date
05 Mar 2026
Issue Pages
13

Issue References

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